Otaru (小樽市; -shi) is a This article is about the Japanese municipality system. ...city and Categories: Stub | Commercial item transport and distribution | Transportation ...port located in Shiribeshi subprefecture (後志) is located in Hokkaido, Japan. ...Shiribeshi, Hokkaidō (Japanese: 北海道, literal meaning: North Sea Route, Ainu: Mosir), formerly known as Ezo, is the second largest island of Japan. ...Hokkaido, Official language Japanese Capital Tokyo Largest City Tokyo Emperor Akihito Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi Area  _ Total  _ % water Ranked 60th 377,835 km² 0. ...Japan.

As of 2003 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar, and also: The International Year of Freshwater The European Disability Year Events January January 1 _ Luíz Inácio Lula Da Silva becomes the 37th President of Brazil. ...2003, the city has an estimated In the most common sense of the word, a population is the collection of people—or organisms of a particular species—living in a given geographic area. ...population of 146,297 and the Population density can be used as a measurement of any tangible item. ...density of 601.72 persons per Square kilometre (US spelling: Square kilometer), symbol km², is an SI unit of surface area. ...km². The total area is 243.13 Square kilometre (US spelling: Square kilometer), symbol km², is an SI unit of surface area. ...km².

History

This is not a city with an easily visible history _ buildings created in the 1930s are regarded as cultural assets.

The city was an For Ainu in J.R.R. Tolkiens fictional universe of Arda, see Ainur. ...Ainu habitation, and the name "Otaru" is recognised as being of Ainu origin. The very small remaining part of the Temiya Cave contains cave carvings from the Zoku_Joumon period of Ainu history, c. 400 A.D. Otaru was recognised as a village by the For the James Clavell novel, see Shogun or for the TV Miniseries. ...bakufu in 1865, and the railway first arrived in 1885. Otaru was redesignated as a city on August 1st 1922.

Notable Attractions

A canal runs through Otaru which is adorned with Victorian style street lamps. During the day it is a hive of activity, and buskers play on the boulevards that run alongside, although it comes into its own at night. Otaru certainly is one of the more picturesque Japanese cities (granted that there is not much competition), in a vicinity which is abundant in natural beauty _ beautiful beaches are to be found nearby. At some beaches, such as Ranshima and Sunset Beach at Zenibako (on the way to Sapporo scene Sapporo White Illumination Sapporo (札幌市; _shi) is the fifth_largest city in Japan and it is the capital of Hokkaido Prefecture. ...Sapporo), the sea water is so clear that I can quite believe the Japanese must filter it for clarity.__JohnCrocker 21:44, 7 Feb 2005 (UTC) Otaru attracts a large number of native Japanese tourists as well as Russian visitors.

There are many restaurants, but Otaru Beer (adjacent to the canal) is certainly worth a visit, not only for the quality of the local brew, but for a unique quasi Arthurian medieval-themed and yet very weird experience - a cross between the Lord of the Rings and a scene from Cable Guy. Otaru sushi is also worth trying, it is renowned in Japan.--JohnCrocker 21:44, 7 Feb 2005 (UTC)

The town has substantial shopping arcades and bazaars, but there can be few cities in the world that compare to nearby Hokkaido capital of Sapporo scene Sapporo White Illumination Sapporo (札幌市; -shi) is the fifth-largest city in Japan and it is the capital of Hokkaido Prefecture. ...Sapporo in this respect.

A nearby attraction that is worth a look on the west side of the city is Nishin Goten (herring mansion). This is a large wooden building, built in 1897, that was once the house of a magnate of the herring fishing industry called Fukumatsu Tanaka. It was originally built at nearby Tomari village, but was moved to its present location in 1958. Visitors can clearly see the difference between the squalid conditions of the first floor sleeping quarters of 120 workers, and the ground floor luxury of the magnate’s rooms.

Climate

In the summer the weather can be hot and balmy, but it snows in winter from about November to March, and drifts of two to three metres are not uncommon.

Mount Tengu

Otaru is an important port for Sapporo, and part of this hilly city is located on the lower slopes of Mount Tengu (Tenguyama). Although this is not well known, Mount Tengu is a good location for skiing and other winter sports.

External links

• Official website (http://www.city.otaru.hokkaido.jp/) in Japanese